Cattle-guard.



J. L-UROUGH. CATTLE GUARD.

APPLIOATION ,IILBD JULY 16, 1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

awveutoi J L; Crouch,

351 I F V Mt) Wane/ans IHE NORRIS ps-rsns :0, WASHINGTON, n. c.

PATENT oEEioE".

JIM L.; CROUCH, OF DE KALB, TEXAS.

CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909. Q

Application filed July 15, 1908; Serial No. 443,660.

T 0 all whom 'it may concern V Be it known that I, J IM L. CRoUoH, a citizen of the United States, residing at De Kalb, in the county of Bowie and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle Guards, .of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cattle guards and comprehends the construction of a cattle guard comprising a plurality of swinging gates adapted to be positioned between the rails of a railroad track and to be moved by the pressure of an animal to an angularposition above the rails.

Another object of this invention is the construction of an improved cattle guard comprising a plurality of swinging gates and rock shafts therefor and a platform adapted to move the rock shafts and so arranged that the'same may be readily positioned between the rails of arailroad track and adapted to be operated by an animal upon the platform.

With these and other objects in view, this invention comprises certain constructions, combmatlons and arrangements. of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved cattle guard placed in position on a railroad track, Fig. 2 is a transverse section, Fig. ,3 is a perspective viewof a platform connection, and, Fig.4 is a detail of a blade.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

My improved cattle guard is preferablyv nected with the supporting members 1 are a plurality of gates 6 and 7 The gates 6 and 7 are formed with longitudinal pieces 8 and blades 9. j

The blades 9 are preferably formed from flat material and formed with a bent end portion 10 and said bent end portion 10 is secured to the longitudinal pieces 8 by means of rivets and when so secured, the edges 11 of blades 9 will project upwardly from the brace member '4 The longitudinal pieces or bars 8 are formed or provided with rock shafts 12 which are adapted to extend through apertures 3 formed in supporting members 1. Normally the blades 9 rest upon the brace member 4 and the rock shafts project from the supporting members'l on a plane with the longitudinal bars 8.

The rock shafts 12 are connected to a platform 13, and are adapted to be moved when pressure is applied to the platform 13 and when so moved, the blades 9 will be lifted from the brace member 4 to an angular position above the same.

The platform 13 is formed with bearing portions 14 adapted to connect with the rock whereby the bearing portions 14 may be formed on the platform, is designated by the numeral 16.

The aperture of the bearing blocks or portions, as the case may be, is substantially oval in cross section so as to permit a horizontal movement of the rock shafts 12.

The supporting members 1 may be provided withmovable bearing blocks for the rock shafts in which case, the formation of the supporting members 1 with apertures 3 is not necessary.

The platform 13 is preferably provided Without anyopenings such as'would receive the foot of an animal and may be of any vent the platform 13 from raising the blades length, and it is preferably one half the width of the space between the railroad track.

Each section of my improved cattle guard may be provided with one platform or with two platforms, but is preferably made about eight feet in length.

WVhen an animal heading toward a railroad track provided with my improved cattle guard, treads upon the platform 13, the pressure of its weight will elevate or lift blades 9 carried by longitudinal bars 8, so that the blades will occupy an angular position with relation to the rails and the ties, and effectively bar the passage of an animal over said ties. ()wing to the peculiar construction of my improved cattle guard, it is 1 possible to position two sections, each being a duplicate of the other, between the rails of a railroad track, and this arrangement more effectively prevents the passage of one or more animals from a crossing or field over the ties of a railroad track. The blades 9 of gates 6 and 7 will return to their normal positions over the brace member t, when the pressure is removed from the platform 13, as they will then drop by their own weight on to the brace member l.

The construct-ion of my improved cattle guard is such that all of the parts can be quickly formed, and when formed can be quickly joined into an operative structure at small cost. This construction is such that snow, or other obstructions will not easily bind the various parts together so as to pre- 9 into an angular position with. relation to the ties.

hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, supporting members adapted to be secured to the ties of a railroad track, longitudinal bars supported on the supporting members and extending parallel with the rails of a railroad track, blades carried by the longitudinal bars, rock shafts connected to the longitudinal bars, and a platform for moving the rock shafts and by the movement of the rock shafts to raise the blades to their normal position.

2. In a device of the class described, a railroad track comprising ties, and rails therefor, supporting members secured to the ties, longitudinal bars connected to the members and extending parallel with the rails, a brace member for the supporting members, blades carried by the longitudinal bars and adapted to be normally raised from the brace member, rock shafts for the longitudinal bars, and a platforn'i adapted to raise the blades to an angular position above the rails and forming connections with the rock shafts.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J 1M L. CROUCH.

lVitnesses C. G. CRUMP, BUN VVILLIAMS. 

